EXTENSIONS of REMARKS 4915 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS TRIBUTE to RABBI MANUEL Ever Had and It's the Only Congregation He's Judaism
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March 18, 1979 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 4915 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS TRIBUTE TO RABBI MANUEL ever had and it's the only congregation he's Judaism. I love teaching," he said, adding LAD ERMAN ever had. that he still teaches in the school. In 1971 Laderman wrote an open letter to He likes counseling, too, and has found his congregation, called "A Love Letter to he does more and more of it. But his first HON. TIMOTHY E. WIRTH My Congregation," for a national magazine, love always has been preaching. called Judaism, published by the American "I used to be a great thunderer about OF COLORADO Jewish Congress. observance of the dietary laws. but I guess IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES In the arti::le, he wrote "You took me as an lately I've preached more about Israel." His sermons are always text-oriented, based Tuesday, March 13, 1979 Orthodox rabbi without a beard, a relatively unheard of phenomenon in the America of on the Bible or rabbinical writings. • Mr. WIRTH. Mr. Speaker, in con the 1930's, and one, which in our Denver He limits sermons to 20 minutes. "That's fronting the enormous demands of this community was looked on as something of a the American standard," he said, with a job, all of us depend to a large degree on scandal. You accepted an English-speaking laugh. "Europeans are much more long the great expertise and wisdom in our rabbi for an Orthodox congregation, when winded. I once heard the Sephardic chief Yiddish was the usually accepted tongue of rabbi of Israel speak an hour and 20 minutes. constituencies. preaching and teaching." Remembering Then he told the congregation, 'I guess you're Over the years, I have come to look those early days, Laderman smiles and says, tired now.' toward one such person, Rabbi Manuel "It was a new congregation. I guess they "The people said, politely, 'Oh no, we aren't Laderman, for the kind of human advice didn't know any better, so they hired me." tired.' The rabbi went on to speak for an that one cannot quantify. Laderman started with the Alliance Oct. other hour and a half," recalled Laderman. For 47 years, Rabbi Laderman has led 25, 1932, when the congregation met at West One thing concerning the rabbi about the the Hebrew Educational Alliance in the Colfax Avenue and Meade Street. In 1952 the future is surviving a non-speaking role. "I've congregation moved to its present building. been a good listener, too, but whether I Denver portion of my district, teaching can do that over the long stretch I don't his congregation the principles upon In those days, the neighborhood was almost entirely Jewish and many questioned the know. I've always viewed everything as a which Judaism is built and opening the idea of building a synagogue there because possible speech idea." eyes of the community as a whole to Jews were beginning to "scatter" to other In his letter to the congregation, Lader the deep values and moral guideposts parts of the city. man thanked the members for their con which bind all of us in common faith. The Alliance, one of three Orthodox syn tinuing support. His humor, wisdom, and concern are agogues still in west Denver, is the only one "Every clergyman sometimes goes off the known throughout Denver and he is with a rabbi. It reached its peak of members deep end,'' he wrote. "He gets himself into widely sought out as a speaker, thinker, with 750 in 1969 and now has about 650, a trap of thinking that all the wisdom in Laderman said. Part of the loss was due to the world is his and, despite every kind of and counselor. friendly caution and counsel, insists on mak This August, Rabbi Laderman will re the changing neighborhood. Many of those who have moved, however, ing a public pronouncement for which a tire from the Hebrew Educational Al still come back to the All1ance for high holi public pronouncement for which later he liance, the only rabbi the congregation day services, and they try to reconcile the would, as the phrase has it, have bitten has ever known, and the only congrega problem of getting to the Sabbath services. his tongue. tion he has ever had. Although all of us Orthodox Jews believe they shouldn't ride on "I am no exception, I have said things will feel a deep sense of loss, we also the Sabbath, so several hundred rent rooms from the pulpit which drew large attention at nearby hotels and then walk to the syna from a wide audience, far beyond the walls know that Rabbi Laderman will continue of the synagogue in which they were uttered, to speak out on the issues of the day and gogue for holiday services. The rabbi lets because of their sensational nature. There on the values that transcend any period members make their own decisions about the walking-riding rule. have been a number of occasions in which the wrath of many was poured out on me. or situation. Laderman has always felt his congrega Mr. Speaker, I have here an article People were outraged and the demands for tion came first. Asked by a census taker my scalp were many," he wrote. about Rabbi Laderman which recently some years ago how many hours a day he ran in the Denver Post. I hope that my Laderman said he was referring to 1. speech worked. Laderman replied "How many hours he made at the beginning of World War II. colleagues will take time to read about a day are there?" "I had some hesitation that Poland never this extraordinary man and that they And he recalls the time a member of the was friendly to Jews. It was picked up by a will join with me in wishing the rabbi a congregation awakened him at 3 a.m. to tell Denver newspaper and the rabbi was heavily happy, healthy, and productive retire the rabbi of a death in the family. The rabbi criticized by many persons. But, as he wrote asked the man if he had called the under in the letter to his members, 'you refused to ment. taker. The article follows: countenance any of the suggestions that "Oh, I couldn't call him at this hour," were universally made that I had overstayed [From the Denver Post, Mar. 9, 1979] the man replied. my welcome'.'' RABBI STARTED EARLY ON PREACHING PATH Laderman said he studied a lot as a child Though Orthodox, Laderman has made and was "religious child in a religious home." (By Virginia Culver) some waves with what some considered too When he was 18 he decided he'd rather be a many and too liberal changes in synagogue Rabbi Manuel Laderman was only 11 when rabbi than a lawyer, though there were no he realized how much he liked to talk. life. rabbis in his family. The absence of the beard was the first That was his age when he began preach "I wanted the chance to convey some of notice of that. Another early confrontation ing on the street corners of Chicago, Ill., the abiding values of Judaism and impress was whether to allow fraternizing between repeating over and over his elementary others with the beauty of the tradition,'' the sexes at social functions. school graduation speech. He thought he he said. As with all Orthodox synagogues, at Alll wanted to be a lawyer. It was a decision he never regretted, though ance, men and women still sit separately in The rabbi, one of the best known and best he admits he's had downs as well as ups. services, but Laderman thought they should loved religious leaders in Denver, said his On the down days he's prone to tell his be allowed to be together during synagogue first speech was about patriotism. He was synagogue staff, "Don't raise your sons to social functions and even to dance together. given $1 for each performance and bus fare be rabbis." They remind him that his own Many Orthodox "would still frown on that," by a local patriotic organization. son is a rabbi. he said. He said later he worried about being on The Ladermans, who will continue to live He has allowed women to speak from the the college debating team because he had at their home a few doors from the syna pulpit "which the pious or more right-wing been paid for those early speeches and there gogue, have a son Paul. who lives in Israel, members haven't liked." A woman is a vice fore might be considered a professional. The and a daughter, Mierle Ukeles, who is an art president of the synagogue, also unusual in laugh comes easily when he tells such stories ist and lives in New York. The Ladermans Orthodoxy. on himself. have six grandchildren. Laderman, a native of New York City, Laderman will retire at the end of August, Laderman. active in many civic affairs in earned his bachelor's degree from the Lewis after almost 47 years as spiritual leader or Denver, counts as one of his accomplish Institute of Technology, Chicago, did gradu Hebrew Educational Alliance, 1555 Stuart ments the religious school at the Alliance. ate study at the Divinity School of the Uni St. He is the only rabbi the congregation has where he has "taught them the love for versity of Chicago and earned his doctorate e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor.